Rangers sign Long Island forward Bobby Trivigno
Massachusetts's Bobby Trivigno celebrates after scoring against St. Cloud State during the third period of the NCAA Frozen Four championship game in Pittsburgh on April 10, 2021. Credit: AP
The Rangers have agreed to terms on an entry-level contract with undrafted free-agent forward Bobby Trivigno, a native of Setauket who played for the University of Massachusetts.
He was the Hockey East Player of the Year this season as well as the College Hockey News Player of the Year and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top college hockey player in the country.
Trivigno, 23, helped lead UMass to the NCAA championship in 2021 and was named most outstanding player in the Frozen Four and a first-team All-American that year.
Trivigno also won the Walter Brown Award, given to the best American-born Division I player in New England, for the second consecutive year. He had 20 goals and 29 assists in 37 games for UMass this season.
The 5-8, 161-pounder, who was the captain for the Minutemen, finished his college career with 53 goals and 78 assists in 139 games. He will report to the Rangers’ AHL affiliate in Hartford, where he will be reunited with former UMass teammate Zac Jones.
Strome out again
Ryan Strome did not take part in Friday’s morning skate before the Rangers’ game against the Islanders at Madison Square Garden, but he did skate on his own, according to coach Gerard Gallant.
Strome missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury suffered in the first period of Sunday’s 5-4 overtime win over Buffalo. Newcomer Andrew Copp skated in his place on the second line, with Artemi Panarin and Dryden Hunt.
Gallant stayed with the same lineup as he used Wednesday in Detroit, meaning forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Julien Gauthier and defensemen Libor Hajek and Justin Braun were scratched.
Kakko, Rooney near
Gallant said forwards Kaapo Kakko and Kevin Rooney are close to returning but will not play this weekend.
“They’re not ready this week,’’ he said. “They might be ready sometime [soon], but it’s not going to be today or next game [Sunday vs. Philadelphia] . . . They’re getting better, for sure.’’
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
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